Turkey tetrazzini is the best way to use up leftover turkey. It’s a delicious pasta casserole dish with a creamy sauce and cheese melted on top. Make with less than 10 ingredients!
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Easy Leftover Turkey Recipe
This turkey tetrazzini recipe is the best way to use leftover roasted turkey from your Thanksgiving menu! It’s an easy casserole dish and one of my favorite leftover turkey recipes!
Just like chicken tetrazzini, it’s easy to make and takes less than 10 ingredients. It’s a comforting family favorite along with this healthy turkey chili. Other classic recipes we make post-turkey dinner include homemade turkey pot pie and leftover turkey soup.
Recipe Ingredients for Turkey Tetrazzini Casserole
Combine all these ingredients together to make the best turkey tetrazzini dish ever!
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Noodles: You can use either thin spaghetti or linguine type of noodle.
- Butter: Salted or unsalted butter works well with this recipe.
- Onion & garlic: Finely chop and cook until golden for flavor.
- Turkey breast: Use up your leftover turkey meat.
- Cream of mushroom soup: This will add in thickness and flavor to your noodles.
- Sour cream: Thickens up the sauce plus helps with the creaminess in the mixture.
- Cheese: Freshly shredded mozzarella & parmesan cheese will give this dish the cheesiest noodles.
How to Make Turkey Tetrazzini
- Cook pasta. Cook pasta al dente, according to package directions. Then drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water.
- Make the sauce. Melt the butter over medium-heat in a skillet. Add in the chopped onions and cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Then add minced garlic and cook an additional minute. Next add in the turkey, cream of mushroom soup and sour cream. If you need to thin the sauce out a little, add in the pasta water.
- Combine. Toss together the sauce and noodles, then pour mixture in a buttered 8×8″ baking dish.
- Bake in the oven. Top with cheese and bake in oven at 350°F for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is bubbly and lightly golden.
Tips and Substitutions
This tetrazzini casserole dish is perfect for using leftovers and having an extra meal during the week.
- Use homemade cream of mushroom soup if you’d prefer to make your own.
- Add in 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms with the chopped onions.
- You can also use cooked chicken instead of turkey for a chicken tetrazzini.
- For more texture, feel free to sprinkle some bread crumbs on top.
- You can substitute chopped onions and minced garlic with 1/2 teaspoon both onion powder and garlic powder. Simply mix the seasonings with the melted butter.
- Frozen peas also taste yummy in this dish. Mix them in when you stir together the sauce and noodles.
Recipe FAQs
Tetrazzini is an American dish that is made with diced meat or seafood. It usually has a buttery cream sauce with mushrooms and topped with cheese.
It is known to have been originated in San Francisco. The dish is named after the famous opera singer Luisa Tetrazzini.
Ernest Arbogast who was the chef at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco created the tetrazzini. Now this dish has evolved into several different variations!
We love to serve this pasta dish with a big chopped salad and leftover dinner rolls or French bread. Seriously so yummy!
How to Freeze Turkey Tetrazzini
This dish makes a great freezer meal. Sometimes I double the recipe and pop one in the freezer for busy weeknights.
- To freeze before baking: Mix together the noodles with the sauce, then pour into a buttered baking dish. Let cool completely, then add cheese on top. Cover tightly with foil or lid and place in the freezer.
- To freeze after baking: Let cool completely, then cover with foil or a lid. Place in freezer until ready to enjoy.
- Reheating: Let thaw in fridge overnight, then bake in oven at 350°F according to directions.
5 star review
“Delicious! Everyone loved it and helped me stretch my meals with out being bored of turkey.”
– Michelle
Are you looking for more casserole dishes?! Try this breakfast casserole, meatball casserole, or this Mexican casserole.
More Baked Pasta Dishes
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Turkey Tetrazzini recipe
Video
Equipment
- 8×8 baking dish
Ingredients
- 8 ounces thin spaghetti , or linguine
- 3 Tablespoons butter
- ½ cup finely chopped onion
- 1-2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2-3 cups cooked turkey breast
- 1 cup cream of mushroom soup , or cream of chicken
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 1/2-1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
- 1-2 Tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
S&P, to taste
Fresh parsley for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 8×8" baking dish and set aside. Cook pasta al dente, according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water.
- In a skillet, melt the butter over medium-heat. Add the onions and cook 3-5 minutes. Then add the garlic and cook an additional minute.
- Next add in the turkey, cream of mushroom soup and sour cream. Add in pasta water if need to thin out. Salt and pepper to taste. Toss sauce with noodles and pour into baking dish.
- Sprinkle with cheese and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the top is bubbly and lightly golden. Top with fresh parsley if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Categorized as: Casseroles, Dinner, Freezer-Friendly, Freezer-Friendly, Italian, Meal Prep, Nut-Free, Pasta, Thanksgiving
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is also the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook. Here you will find easy family-friendly recipes for every occasion.
Can this be made without the sour cream? I don’t have any.
It will change the texture, but you could try whisking in some greek yogurt, heavy cream or milk if you don’t have any.
Pretty easy and so yummy, one of my go to recipes. Thank you for
Had leftover turkey and found this recipe. The whole family loved it. Very tasty and so easy.
Yay! That is a success! I’m so glad your family loved them. They are a family favorite of ours as well.
This was delicious! Will definitely make again!
So glad you loved it, Debbie!
I love this recipe and have made it 4x for myself and others. I did add a jar of sliced mushrooms like was recommended at the end of the recipe and I don’t use as much garlic as recommended – about 1/4 of a teaspoon.
I’m so glad you love it! Thanks for your comment and review, Margaret :)
This is delicious made it once. Not enough so i doubled it. This time. Now just wait till its done.
So glad you enjoyed it :)
Easy, tasty……great!
This is absolutely amazing!! My kids loved it for dinner!
Yummy! I love chicken and pasta dishes. This is so easy to make too, can’t wait to eat it.
Oh my goodness this looks wonderful and so delicious! I can’t wait to give this a try! My husband is going to love this!
Delicious! Everyone loved it and helped me stretch my meals with out being bored of turkey.
I’m so glad everyone loved it! :)
Can this be frozen?
Yes, you should be able to freeze it just fine! The texture may change just a bit since it is a cream based recipe.
This is such an amazing turkey recipe!
This is so good and so easy, a definite family favorite!
Such an incredible dish! I can’t wait to try this!
A really great recipe to use up leftover turkey …so easy to make and everyone loves it!
Love that this works so well as a freezer dinner. Saves me time later when life is crazy!
This turkey recipe looks amazing. I can’t wait to try it. Adding it to my menu plan for next week.